David is presenting MySQL's new features, covering 4.0, 4.1, and a bit of 5.0. I'm at this presentation mostly because I've been using the new features that I no longer consider them new. That means I have trouble enumerating the new features when people ask. So I'm hoping this talk provides a nice summary that I can reuse.

SAP Deal

SAP will use MySQL as their default database in a few years. MySQL is providing ideas for implementation, advice, access to developers, and so on.

MySQL 4.0

  • Multi-table Deletes
  • Dynamic Server Variables
  • Query Cache
  • Handler Interface (for migrating old ISAM style code)
  • SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS
  • Faster SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT)
  • TRUNCATE TABLE
  • Multi-threaded Index Rebuilds
  • Boyer-More Searches for LIKE Comparisons
  • Split Index and Data Directories in CREATE TABLE
  • Multi-table DELETEs
  • Improved Full-Text searching (boolean as of 4.0.3)

MySQL 4.1

  • On-line help
  • SSL in the client server protocol
  • Multi-table UPDATEs
  • Character sets and collations per column/table/db/server (lots of slides on this topic)
  • CONVERT() can be used to convert between character sets
  • Multi-threaded replication
  • Prepared statements
  • Sub-queries (nested SELECTs)
  • COMPRESS()/UNCOMPRESS() using zlib on the server (in 4.1.1)
  • Geometric data types (2-D: line, point, shapes, etc.)
  • Pre-loading of MyISAM index data
  • Multiple statements in a single command
  • Secure replication
  • Query timeouts (or time limits)

MySQL 5.0

  • Foreign keys (referential integrity) for MyISAM
  • On-line backup for MyISAM (easy replication sync too)
  • BIT column
  • True VARCHAR columns (no space trimming)
  • ARRAY column
  • Warning/Info system (better alerting and feedback)
  • Stored Procedures
  • Multiple key caches (you ping cables to a particular cache)

Lots of talks about crash me and benchmarking various databases.

The MySQL folks remind us that software patents are evil.

Posted by jzawodn at July 08, 2003 04:30 PM

Reader Comments
# Jeremy C. Wright said:

Sounds like right around version 5 is when MySQL will be where we'll be ready to use it in our enterprise apps, as it'll have all the features we currently need from SQL Server. Good stuff Competition is good, though I've never even seen a proper implementation of MySQL as a data warehouse (not saying it can't be done, just never seen it).

on July 8, 2003 06:51 PM
# Matt said:

Multi-table UPDATEs are not new in 4.1. They're in 4.0 (since 4.0.4 or so I think?). ;-)

And also, weren't the boolean full-text searches added in 4.0.1 and not 4.0.3?

Sorry, just nitpicking from what I remember off hand. :-D

on July 9, 2003 11:10 PM
# Greece said:

Good Features!

on September 24, 2003 07:49 AM
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